I find it interesting, and a bit sad that our idea of being American hinges on the language we speak. in most countries, folks are bilingual or more. This country need not be any different. We are all human beings with the same needs, wants, desires and feelings. The words we use to express ourselves is irrelevant. Additionally, the belief that immigrants from the past all learned English expeditiously is not true. My grandparents were immigrants and those who needed to speak English learned it and those who did not need it did not learn it. My first wife's grandmother never learned more than a few words and phrases her entire life. It is the same with today's immigrants. We assume that folks cannot speak English because they choose to speak Spanish. Most the time, however, those who need to speak English can do so but choose to speak Spanish because it is more comfortable for them, just like my grandparents who spoke Yiddish.
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